Henry Bakis () born in 1949, Bône (Algeria), is professor emeritus of geography at the University of Montpellier. His research has mainly focused on industry, firms and ICT geography (information and communications technologies).Suzanne Paré (1978); Paul Claval (1995); Cassé Marie-Claude (1995); Gabriel Dupuy (2000). One of his primary interests has been considering the articulation and the effects of electronic communication networks on territories and social networks.
Biography Bakis plays an active role in the International Geographical Union commission dedicated to ICT: executive secretary, chairman or vice-chair of the commissions dedicated to ICT (1985–2016).IGU (2014), C12.14 Geography of the Global Information Society Activities 2012-13, http://igu-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/C12-14-Geography-of-the-Global-Information-Society-2012-13.pdf; Aharon Kelerman & Mark Wilson (2008), http://www.nuim.ie/staff/dpringle/igu/c15/Global_Information_Report.pdf He founded and edited the Communication Newsletter Geography (1985–2000)Newsletter Geography Communication, Centre National d'Etudes Telecommunications, Issy-les-Moulineaux, . http://www.worldcat.org/title/lettre-dinformation/oclc/474469827&referer=brief_results; Issy-les-Moulineaux CNET, 1986–1995 and Montpellier since 1996. and the journal Netcom (1987) on communication and territories.Networks and Communication Studies, , http://journals.openedition.org/netcom/
Bakis was a researcher at the French CNETCentre national d'étude des télécommunications – presently France Telecom Research & Development. from 1978 to 1995. He was associated research director at Paris-Sorbonne University from 1991 to 1996; and professor of economic geography at the University of Montpellier (1996–2015).
Scope of work
Multinationals, technology and spatial organization During the 1970s Bakis studied the consequences of industrial policies, industrial subcontractingH. Bakis (1975), 'La sous-traitance dans l'industrie', Annales de Géographie, Paris, pp. 297–317. and multinational firms activities in the French regions (IBM Case study).H. Bakis (1977), IBM Une multinationale régionale; H. Bakis (1988), Entreprise, espace, télécommunication He then turned his attention to telecommunications networks of large enterprisesH. Bakis, R. Abler & Ed. M. Roche (Eds, 1993), Corporates networks, international telecommunications and interdependence. Perspectives from geography and information systems first from the IBM case.H. Bakis (1980), The communications of larger firms and their implications on the emergence of a new world industrial order. A case study: I.B.M.'s global data network; H. Bakis (1987), 'Telecommunications and the Global Firm', in F. E. Ian Hamilton, Industrial Change in Industrial Economies, Croom Helm, London, pp. 130–160. More generally, the relationship between organizations, network technologies and geographical space are the center of his analysis.H. Bakis, Ed. M. Roche (2000), 'Geography, Technology and Organization', in Ed. M. Roche, M. J. Blaine (Eds), Information technology in Multinational Enterprises, pp. 125–152 He "has contributed greatly to promote this approach of the geography, both within French geographers as within the International Geographical Union.".Ph. Boulanger (2013), 'Pour une géopolitique des médias', La Revue européenne des Médias, n° 26–27 Printemps – Eté, http://la-rem.eu/2013/03/21/pour-une-geopolitique-des-medias/
Geography of ICT Since the end of the 1970s Bakis calls for the study of telecommunications, ICT systems and digital network technologies from the geographical point of view.Tokyo lectures at Pre-Congress IGU Meetings, published in Annales de Géographie (1980) and Geographical Research Forum (1982) He "did pioneering work through important scientific production".A. Cheneau Loquay (2010) p. 213, note 3). Other assessments: "The geography disregarded – effectively before Bakis – the telecommunication" (Karlheinz Hottes 1987, p. 182); [his] "work in founding a telecommunications geography is internationally recognized" (Bruno Moriset, 2000, p. 3); "The role of Henry Bakis was essential in the short history of this geography ... [he] seeks to convince the geography of the urgently importance to study the informatio-communicative dimensions of space" (Emmanuel Eveno, 2004, p. 98). For Bakis, telecommunications is "one of the levers of regional planning to open up the territories, improve economic performance, and allow various forms of teleactivities, a new connection between the local and the global level".Cheneau-Locquay A. (2010), P. 1 He worked on the digital development of territories following the development of the Internet and digital infrastructures.Bakis H. (2010), DigiPolis 26 et 27 Mai, SEM Numerica à Montbéliard)
Spatial heterogeneity The work of Bakis demonstrates that ICT does not lead to the "death of distance", or "the end of geography" in spite of the assertions of some futurologists as Richard O'Brien,Global Financial Integration: The End of Geography, 1992. See: Richard O'Brien (economist) Frances Cairncross,The death of distance, 2001. "Wireless (...) is killing rent, putting the world in our pockets" (p. 2 ), "The communications revolution is democratic and profoundly liberating, leveling the imbalance between wide and small, rich and poor. The death of distance, overall, shoulds be welcomed and enjoyed." ( p. 6) Kenichi Ohmae.The Borderless World Power and Strategy in an Interlinked Economy 1999 ICT would minimize the importance of geographical locations, the development of networks but simultaneously leads to greater spatial heterogeneity with enhanced polarization and metropolisation. The development of infrastructure networks is closely related to demographic, social and economic pre-existing environment. Bakis dismissed the unfounded hopes of positive spatial effects. Bakis wrote that despite the development of infrastructure and communications services "space continues to be differentiated and this is one of the reasons why networks are heterogeneous".Quoted by Milton Santos (1997), La nature de l'espace. Technique et temps, raison et émotion, p. 189
He pleads also for the development of electro-sensitive fog free areas (implementation of the precautionary principle).Bakis H. (2016), 'Pour l'aménagement d'espaces sans brouillard électromagnétique', in Paché G., El Khayat M. (2016), Invitation aux flux. Entre transport et espace, PUP, pp. 143–150.
Geocybergeography Bakis is considered as the "inventor of the concept of geocybergeography"." ... which tends to reconsider the geographical space and to integrate new social activities in virtual spaces interconnected and raised by technologies of networks and flows", Philippe Boulanger (2013), The European Journal Media, n°. 26–27, http://la-rem.eu / 2013/03/21/pour-une-geopolitique-des-medias/ He considers that human beings still live in a geographical classical space but this space is modified by the use of ICT. Today, it includes new attributes making it more complex. The cyberspace of electronic communication does not substitute nor overlap classical space; instead, it comes to mingle closely with the later at all scales. Bakis termed geocyberspace this contemporary form of geographic space in which are modified: the distance (apparent reduction), time (ubiquitous for some services) and costs.H. Bakis: 1997 – pp. 17–53, in E. Roche M. & H. Bakis (eds.); 2007 NETCOM, vol. 21, n° 3–4, p. ; 2013, 'First approach to the notion of geocyberspace' http://hbgeo.upv.univ-montp3.fr/geographie-des-tic/le-geocyberespace-geocyberspace/; 2013 – 'Fragilité du géocyberespace à l'heure des conflits cybernétiques', https://netcom.revues.org/1438
Geopolitics of information Bakis geopolitical approach to communications networks has focused on the role of technology and new technical networks in the changing cultural and political contexts for populations from recent migrations or from older diasporas, and for cultural, ethnic or religious minorities.H. BAKIS: 2007- 'Les nouveaux territoires de l'identité. Minorités et Internet', Netcom, http://netcom.revues.org/2266 Identities of all kind of minorities can be maintained and strengthened in the Internet age. Electronic communication networks disrupt the concepts of distance.H. BAKIS: 1987 -Géopolitique de l'information; 1995 (ed.)-'Communication and Political Geography in a Changing World', Revue Internationale de Science Politique, https://www.jstor.org/stable/i272314; 2013 (ed.)- 'The Geopolitics of Digital Space', NETCOM, vol. 27, pp. 287–460
Main publications For a full list see Mommolin S. (2018), "Bibliography of the Publications of Professor Henry Bakis: 1972–2018", NETCOM, p. 217–252,
Books BAKIS H. (1977), IBM Une multinationale régionale, Presses Universitaires de Grenoble, Grenoble BAKIS H. (1978), La photographie aérienne et spatiale et la télédétection, Presses Universitaires de France (PUF), Que sais-je?, Paris. BAKIS H. et GUGLIELMO Raymond (1979), La pétrochimie dans le monde, PUF, Que sais-je?, Paris. BAKIS H. (1984), Géographie des télécommunications, PUF, Que sais-je?, Paris. BAKIS H. (1987), Géopolitique de l'information, PUF, Que sais-je?, Paris. BAKIS H. (1988), Entreprise, espace, télécommunication. Nouvelles technologies de l'information et organisation de l'espace économique, Paradigme, Caen, 253 p. BAKIS H. (Ed., 1988), Information et organisation spatiale, Paradigme, Caen, 236 p. BAKIS H. (Ed., 1990), Communications et territoires, La Documentation française, 404 p., Paris. BAKIS H. (1993), Les réseaux et leurs enjeux sociaux, PUF, Que sais-je?, Paris. BAKIS H., ABLER Ronald & ROCHE Edward M. (Ed., 1993), Corporates networks, international telecommunications and interdependence. Perspectives from geography and information systems, Belhaven Press (Pinter), London, 232 p. VLEUGEL Jaap M. (author), NIJKAMP Peter (author, editor), BAKIS Henry (contributor) (1994), Missing transport networks in Europe, Akdershot, Brookfield, Avebury, xi, 203 p : ill; 23 cm; Bibliogr.: pp. 188–203; BAKIS H. et DUPUY Gabriel (Eds., 1995), 'Réseaux de communication', Annales de géographie, n° 585-586, pp. 451–621 BAKIS H. (Editor, 1995), 'Communication and Political Geography in a Changing World', Revue Internationale de Science Politique, vol. 16, n° 3, pp. 219–311, Elsevier S. Ltd, Oxford, BAKIS H., HOTTES Kalheinz & WEBER Hans-Ulrich (Editors, 1995), 'Telecommunications and emerging spatial and economic organisation', Materialen zur Raumordnung, 47, Bochum, 131 p. BAKIS H. (1995), 'Télécommunications et quartiers défavorisés', NETCOM, vol. 9, n° H. S., 627 p. ROCHE Edward M. & BAKIS H. (Editors, 1997), Developments in telecommunications. Between global and local, Avebury, 350 p. BAKIS H. et BONIN Muriel (2000), La photographie aérienne et spatiale. PUF, Que sais-je ?, Paris. BAKIS H. & HUH Woo-kung (Editors, 2001), 'Geocyberspace: Building Territories on the Geographical Space of the 21st Century', Netcom, vol. 15, n° 1–2, pp. 3–153 et vol. 16 (2002), n° 1–2, pp. 3–83 BAKIS Henry (Ed. 2001), 'Réseaux de Télécommunications. Réseaux sociaux', Bulletin de l'Association de Géographes français, Géographies, 78ème année, n° 1, pp. 1–47 BAKIS Henry (Ed. 2005), 'Information technologies: from physical networks to digital communities', NETCOM, vol. 19, no. 1–2 BAKIS Henry, PARADISO Maria, VIDAL Philippe (Editors 2007), 'Geocyberspace: uses and perspective', NETCOM, vol. 21, no. 3–4, pp. 281–430 BAKIS Henry (Ed. 2011), 'New digital uses and territories', NETCOM, vol. 25, no. 1–2, pp. 1–128 BAKIS Henry (Ed. 2012), 'Digital Territories: Case Studies', NETCOM, vol. 26, no. 3–4, pp. 145–402 BAKIS Henry (Ed. 2013), 'The Geopolitics of Digital Space', NETCOM, vol. 27, no. 3–4, pp. 287–460
Translations from French